Do solar water heaters contribute much to green power energy living? We will take a look at this old-school technology and see how it stacks up. We will find out if and when it makes any sense to use at all.

Today’s conventional wisdom says that you are better off investing in a solar energy plant (panels, inverters, etc) than you are in a solar hot water heater. Why? Because Solar hot water doesn’t stay hot for long when the sun goes down. The better units cost a decent chunk of change and it seems more sensible to have hot water on demand.

The argument says that installing a couple of more panels that will be required to energize and run a traditional hot water heater or a hybrid hot water heater is far more cost-effective and convenient.

Green Power Energy – Low Budget

Seems logical. But, what if you can’t afford a full solar system? Or, what if you have a place out in the boonies that doesn’t have hot water? Then, it might make sense. Maybe you have made a commitment to green power energy. You’re not going to let money get in the way.

There are two ways that solar water heaters deliver the water to the faucet. Passive (gravity) or active (pump). Solar water heating is a technology that has been around for a few decades. Today’s systems are capable of augmenting your current conventional water heater.

The water is heated when the thermal energy is trapped by the sun by the solar water heating system. The water is then delivered on demand as the household members open valves for showers, sinks, or even running the dishwasher.

How Long does it take to recapture the cost?

According to a report on the SolarSage.com website, the investment for solar water heating equipment can be gained back in 5-15 years. The additional benefit is that you are doing your part to ease up on the impact on the environment.

More Common Solar Hot Water System

The power generated from the sun in a solar energy plant is sufficient to supply the needed electricity to a water heater. Many believe that this is the best way to heat water. One system, rather than a separate contraption for heating the water. What do you think?

Solar Water Heater Future

Aside from some rural settings (cabin in the woods) solar water heaters don’t seem to have as bright of a future as their brethren: the solar panel. Compare the technology to the incandescent light bulb. At one time the incandescent bulb was a miracle design. Today it is outdated and LED lighting has eclipsed the old technology.

Still, this technology hasits place. I cannot imagine designing an off-grid dwelling that did not have some sort of an apparatus that would warm water at no cost for common daily needs like washing dishes, clothes, and taking showers..

There are several makers of these devices. We have a shortlist below of Solar hot water heater manufacturers:

Sun Earth

Apricus

Solar Direct

Duda

Do your own research and share your findings. We’d love to know that you have discovered valuable information that we can pass along to our readers.

Make your own Solar Water Heater

A solar hot water heater can be made from simple components like clear or dark containers, and some tubing. Some are more sophisticated and include a coil of copper tubing. Others contain the coil a big container, and a pump to circulate the heated water.

🌄 Green Power Energy Via Passive Solar

Another green power energy tool is passive solar. Passive Solar Energy is an extremely efficient tool for heating homes. It can also be effective in cooling homes in humid environments. Here’s how it works. Ideally, the sides of the home stretch out from east to west. The south wall should have glass that points toward the sun. Behind the windows, the solid mass will het up from the sun. This can be a part or combination of rock, adobe, masonry, water tubes, or any other surface that can absorb heat.

Once the heat is taken in it is then released over the course of the day to keep the home warm. The passive system described above is capable of capturing the suns energy at an efficiency rate of 60 – 70%. There are no mechanical components involved so not much can go wrong with this system. This is why passive is such a stable and worry-free green power energy contributor.

Passive solar windows can be situated so that they take advantage of the sun in the winter months for heating. These same windows can receive shade from well-planned overhangs in the summer that are designed to shelter the glass from too much sunlight in the summer.

Solar Chimneys

A solar chimney is simply a chimney stack that is painted black, faces south, and pulls air from the room as the body of the chimney heats up. More elaborate systems can use an underground pipe that is connected to a simple intake vent on the opposite side of the house as the chimney. This affords the home the ability to draw cooler air through the intake vent. With the vent on one side and the chimney on the other, a constant draft sends air from one end of the house to the other.

Controlling Summer Heat

As the seasons change so do our indoor temperatures. It’s a constant battle. Implementing a simple overhang on your exterior can be one step that you can take to ward off unwanted heat. The key is to properly calculate the direction of the suns rays during the summer months. Then, you will be able to design the overhang to block out much of the unwanted heat. This all has to be done accurately as you will want to allow the heat in during the cold months and reduce it in summer.

Windows – Key to Success

Having efficient windows where the passive solar wall faces the sun is critical to the overall success of the system. In extreme climates, it is recommended that a triple pane Low-E glass window frame is used. These windows are able to trap the heat and hold it in.

Comfort and Design

Design and comfort go hand-in-hand when it comes to passive solar. Get this green power energy component dein right and you will have an extremely comfortable home. get it wrong and you’ll end up with nothing more than an expensive sauna.

Heat Retention

Thermal mass is a term you will hear a lot when discussing passive solar energy. Having a floor capable of absorbing and retaining the warmth from the suns rays is super helpful in the overall success of the heating of the home. Some materials hold heat very well and some allow it to escape more easily. The thinner the material the less time that the floor will stay warm. An exposed concrete floor will provide the mass needed to hold onto and emit the heat, whereas a linoleum or carpeted floor will allow the heat to escape more quickly.

Green Power Energy – Passive Solar

Passive solar has got to be the ultimate when it comes to inexpensive systems for making a home independent with green power energy. If you are someone who hates high electric bills and wants to harness the free energy that comes from the sun then passive solar may have a place in your future. Taking the time to understand the pluses and minuses of various solar energy plans is well worth your investment.

📮 Shameless Plug

You Want to Receive Our Real Estate Community Service Videos? Sign up below:

🥅 Solar Panels

Green power energy is here to stay. At the top of the food chain are solar panels. Homes can be completely powered by solar green power energy when equipped with a simple solar panel system.

Why? The sun sends 10,000 times more power than all of us people residing on planet earth use in a year. Can you imagine our planet getting 90 – 100% of its energy from the sun? I know, it sounds like a stretch, but it is absolutely possible. Think about it. The earth gets 10,000 more energy than it uses. That just means that tons of energy just disappears into thin air. All we need to do is figure out how to harness a small percentage of that loss. In other words, controlling our resources is a major step in the right direction towards a green power energy world.

Maybe you are ready to buy solar panels for your existing home. Maybe you plan to buy solar panels when you move into your next house? Either way, this is a big investment. Fortunately, the return on that upfront investment is huge. Because solar panels increase the value of your home.

Going solar is a big decision. It isn’t cheap. It takes a few years to recapture your initial investment which can easily run between $15,000 – $30,000 or more depending on the size of your home and what specific hardware you are having installed.

How to Buy Solar Panels without Regrets

Have you ever bought something you wish you had not? We all have. It is not the kind of decision that sits well with any of us. Buyers remorse sucks big time. So what do you need to do to feel like you made the best of decisions when you buy solar panels and have a valuable long-term investment in your place? Is it all about the money? If so, that’s ok.

Perhaps there’s more to it than just money. Maybe you want to know that you have bought from someone who is going to be around after the dust settles. maybe you want to deal with a company who has a track record. Sadly, there are quite a few people and companies who have come and gone faster than you can blink.

How Solar Panels Lower Your Carbon Footprint

Solar panels pull the energy directly from the suns rays. That energy is transformed by the inverters into the kind of current that runs all of the electrical needs of a home. This laptop that I am typing on now has a battery. That battery is charged by plugging it into a typical 110 a/c outlet like all of us have in our homes here in the US. Like magic, my laptop is all charged up within an hour.

Green Power Energy Sources

The source that supplies that power can be from the grid in our city or the sun. The power company uses coal power plants and uranium power plants to create its supply. Those power plants have an immense impact on my personal carbon footprint for which I take full responsibility.

I take that responsibility on because I have lots of choices. I can turn a blind eye to what’s really going on or I can open my eyes to the truth. The truth is that going solar is not only cost sensible, but it gives us the ability to make a giant impact on how our daily living will change the severity of our contribution to preserving or killing the planet. Green power energy is a concept that makes sense for the sustainability of the environment and planet.